


Madness Speaks Up

by rhodrymavelyne



Series: Sisterhood of the Witchblade [5]
Category: Angel: the Series, Witchblade (TV), Wonderfalls
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:08:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24739780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhodrymavelyne/pseuds/rhodrymavelyne
Summary: An attractive and mysterious stranger walks into the Wonderfalls shop, making Jaye Tyler wonder if she’s the only one who’s a victim of destiny. Or madness.
Relationships: Eric Gotts/Jaye Tyler, Jaye Tyler/Kate Lockley
Series: Sisterhood of the Witchblade [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1129541





	Madness Speaks Up

**Author's Note:**

> I own neither Wonderfalls, nor Angel, nor Witchblade. Bryan Fuller and Todd Holland’s comments on the Wonderfalls commentary about Jaye Tyler being inspired by Joan of Arc is what drew Jaye and her universe into my ongoing Sisterhood of the Witchblade fic, a series where Kate Lockley is Sara Pezzini’s long-lost sister with a connection to both the Witchblade and Sara herself. This sisterhood includes more than just sisters by blood. After all, Joan of Arc was a former wielder of the Witchblade. What other women guided by destiny might be part of it?

Niagara Falls, a popular tourist destination. Kate Lockley had vague memories of being here with her parents. Hadn’t her mother snapped a picture of her by the falls? 

She closed her eyes, felt the cool vapors of the cascade kissing her face. After being forced to leave the L.A. P.D., it was the perfect time to take a road trip. 

Not sure why, she wandered into a little shop along the tourist drag where countless other visitors had been before. 

****

“A lone wolf needs her sisters.”

Nothing like cryptic statements from a wax lion to ruin a perfectly good morning of slacking off. Probably wasn’t a coincidence it spoke right when the attractive blonde woman walked in the store. 

Searing blue eyes scanned the inside of the shop, almost like they were searching for something. Those eyes dominated a round face with full cheeks and a mouth set in a serious frown. She wore a burgundy jacket over a white shirt and jeans, not dressing to impress anybody. She didn’t need to. The contained energy thrumming around her spoke volumes. 

Jaye bit the side of her mouth. Some people didn’t have to try. You knew instantly they were someone. In this case a lone wolf. 

She walked across the store, plastered her best customer-service smile on her face. One her mouth-breather of a manager had told her repeatedly wasn’t friendly enough. “Can I help you?”

“I’m not sure. Probably not.” The strange woman let out a self-conscious laugh, tugged a hair behind her face. She wasn’t just pretty, she was beautiful. “Maybe a break from the madness that’s my life?”

“Did you ever pick the wrong place.” Jaye found herself grinning in spite of herself, surprised into utter honesty. “Madness has a way of speaking up around here. Too bad, because everybody would be happier if it kept its mouth shut.”

She expected a puzzled frown, a question about what she meant. Instead the stranger’s smile grew. “Doesn’t it always?”

Jaye cocked her head, surprised that her own grin wasn't making her face ache. Was she actually enjoying talking to a customer? Was the world about to end? Maybe.

Would the world ending shut a wax lion up? Probably not. “A lone wolf needs her sisters. Find her sisters.” 

Jaye glared at the tiny figurine which was doing its best to make her feel like a lunatic. Only did the strange woman glance at the lion for one moment before looking back at her?

No, she had to have imagined it. 

“I’ve got a strange question to ask you.” Jaye fumbled the right words which wouldn’t sound awkward. 

“Can’t be any stranger than what's been happening to me lately.” The stranger shrugged in a way that Jaye feel a lot less freakish. “Go ahead.”

“Do you have any sisters?” Wonderful. Way to be tactful, Jaye Tyler. Just blurt it out. 

Only the stranger showed no surprise at this question. She gazed off in the distance, past Jaye at some inner landscape only she could see. 

For the first time, Jaye noticed the bracelet around the woman’s wrist. Silver, looked like some sort of Celtic design. The red stone at the center glowed and pulsed. 

No way. She had to be imagining things. 

****

“I’m coming to you.” She could see the figure on a motorcycle, identity hidden behind a helmet, but not hidden from Kate. She heard the husky purr, comforting within the shell of her head.

She saw her once more, the dark-haired green-eyed woman dressed in a simple shift. Cathain had yet to put on her armour. There was time for one last embrace. 

She went to her, enfolding the other woman in her arms. The bracelet was still on her wrist, quiet, yet a pulsing presence between them. Cutting off her sister from everyone. Cutting her off from the world. 

“I wish I could take this burden from you,” she whispered into her sister’s hair, tightening her grip on her. 

“No one can take this burden from me.” Cathain pulled back, yet not letting go of her, to gaze intently at her face. “Do you understand, Deirdre? I have to bear this alone.”

Kate reached out to touch her sister’s hand, the one encircled by metal and magic. “Do you? Maybe you’re the only one who insists on doing so.”

****

Kate blinked to find herself holding the shopgirl’s hand. The girl gazed at her with wide, moist eyes and slightly parted lips. 

“Sorry,” Kate stammered. She dropped the girl’s hand. “I’ve been acting more than a little crazy lately.  
****

Her hand was so soft and warm. For a moment, Jaye could almost see it, the two women in a clearing, embracing each other. Dressed in gowns which had no business in a modern world of retail and the mundane. She heard the blonde woman whisper, “I wish that I could take this burden from you.”

Only to come back to reality, the reality of this strange woman holding her hand. 

“Sorry.” The woman dropped her hand, aware of the awkwardness the instant Jaye was. “I’m been acting a little crazy lately.” 

“Believe me, I understand crazy.” May Eric forgive her and Karen never find out, she’d really enjoyed holding this lady's hand. Jaye shrugged, trying to dismiss the awkward.

“To answer your question, I didn’t think I had a sister.” With a directness that disregarded the awkward, the stranger returned to the topic at hand. “I was wrong.” She ran a hand through her blond hair in an absent, abstracted gesture. “I think I’m destined to find her, help her.” She grinned again. “Sorry about the weird.”

“Hey, I was already part of the weird.” Jaye grinned again. Later she’d worry about how easy it had been to smile around this woman. “If you think you’re destined to find your lost sister, you’d better do it.” Once again she found herself speaking with complete frankness. “You don’t want to mess with destiny. It’s a sore loser.”

***  
The store clerk’s words brought back the memory of Angel, of Angel telling her there was no grand plan. If there wasn’t, every act of kindness was important. 

She’d felt the truth in his words at the time. Perhaps they had been true as far as Angel was concerned. Only maybe they weren’t the whole truth. 

“Do you really believe in that?” Once more she gazed into eyes as blue as her own, containing secrets in their depths. For this store clerk had secrets of her own. Kate could almost smell them, wafting off her hair and clothes. “In destiny?”

“If only I didn’t.” The girl half-grimaced, half-grinned in a sweet, earnest way which made Kate almost want to reach out and hug her. “The question isn’t whether or not Destiny exists. It’s how to keep it happy without getting your heart skewered by its plan.”

Kate laughed in spite of herself at this. Perhaps she shouldn’t have. The girl grinned right back at her, sharing the humour. 

“Thank you…Jaye.” She glanced down at the girl’s nametag. “Try not to get your heart skewered.” 

She turned towards the door.

“Hey!” Jaye’s call stopped her. “What’s your name? If you don’t mind my asking.”

Kate turned back, unsure if she should say it. Only she did. 

“Kate.” She took one last look in those deep blue eyes. “Kate Lockley.”

“Well, good luck.” Jaye’s face relaxed into something softer. “Kate.”

Kate nodded and walked to the door, stepping to the side for a tall, blonde woman who gave her an intent, searching look. She ducked her head and headed out. 

****

“Wow.” Karen watched Kate leave, not bothering to hide her appreciation. “I don’t usually go for blondes, but that was very tasty.” 

Jaye didn’t reply. She just stood there for a moment, took a deep breath. The very air still tingled where Kate had been.  
“No one can ever doubt that she was someone.” She uttered the words which came to her the moment she laid eyes on Kate Lockley. “She doesn’t need to prove it, it’s just there.”

“Well, aren’t you smitten.” Karen gave her a teasing once-over. “Are you about to break Eric’s heart to explore new horizons?”

Trust her sister to take a mysterious moment and make it all about sex. Jaye was about to utter a rebuttal when the lion interrupted her. 

“A lone wolf needs her sisters. Follow her.”

“Follow her?” Jaye looked down at the tiny wax figure. “Just what do you expect me to do?”

“You’re going to follow her?” Karen’s teasing look turned incredulous. “Aren’t you on the clock?”

“I have to go.” Jaye stripped off her store apron and handed it to her sister. “Tell the mouth-breather I had a family emergency. And oh, tell Mom and Dad I’ll be late to dinner tonight. If I make it.”

“Jaye!” Karen snapped, but Jaye was already marching out the door, the wax lion in hand. 

“The things I let you talk me into,” she grumbled to the tiny miniature. 

This time the lion didn’t answer.


End file.
